Changes in N-terminal Pro B-type Natriuretic Peptide Concentration: Comparative Study of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty and Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of different reperfusion methods on N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) patients. Fifty subjects were enrolled in the study, 32 patients received PTCA and 18 OPCAB. An NT-proBNP measurement was performed before intervention and at 1, 3, and 7 days after the procedures. NT-proBNP levels were not significantly different before intervention (PTCA group 297±147.3 vs. OPCAB group 235±167.8 pg/mL, p>0.05). However, 1 day after the procedures, NT-proBNP levels were higher in the OPCAB group (PTCA 375±256.4 vs. OPCAB 1,415±737.6 pg/mL, p<0.05), after 3 days NT-proBNP reached peak levels (PTCA 480±363.0 vs. OPCAB 2,119±818.4 pg/mL, p<0.05), and levels were reduced after 7 days (PTCA 292±243.7 vs. OPCAB 522±334.0 pg/mL, p>0.05). PTCA induced a mild and transient increase in NT-proBNP concentration, but OPCAB caused sustained high NT-proBNP levels during the 7 day postoperatively. However, differences between NT-proBNP levels associated with these two modalities showed a tendency to decrease rapidly postoperatively

Myocardial Protective Effect of Tezosentan, an Endothelin Receptor Antagonist, for Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Experimental Heart Failure Models

The myocardial protective effects of endothelin antagonist in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP), doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX) and pressure-overload hypertrophy by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) models have been predicted to be different. The objective of this experiment, therefore, is to evaluate the myocardial protective effect of tezosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, in various experimental heart failure models. Sprague-Dawley rats (6-8 weeks old, 200-300 g) were randomized to three experimental groups (n=30 each): ICMP; DOX; and TAC group. Each of these groups was randomly assigned further to the following subgroups (n=10 each): sham-operated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (SHAM); tezosentan treated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (Tezo); and tezosentan non-treated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (N-Tezo). Total circulatory arrest was induced for 1 hr, followed by 2 hr of reperfusion. The left ventricular developed pressure, peak positive and negative first derivatives, and coronary blood flow were significantly different (P<0.05) among the SHAM, Tezo, and N-Tezo subgroups of the ICMP group at 30 min of reperfusion, but there were no statistically significant differences among the subgroups of the DOX and TAC groups. In conclusion, tezosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, showed myocardial protection effects only on the ischemic cardiomyopathy rat model, but not in the non-ischemic heart failure rat models